2009 WI Factsheet

EPA

State Innovation Grant Program: Wisconsin
Wisconsin Autobody Refinishing Shops in Six States (2009 Competition)

The State Innovation Grant Program
In 2002 EPA introduced the State Innovation Grant Program to support
efforts led by state environmental agencies to test innovative approaches
for achieving better environmental results and improved efficiency in
permitting programs. Between 2002 and 2009, the State Innovation
Grant program competition awarded over eight million dollars to
support 40 state projects that test permitting innovation for a variety of
regulated entities including several small business sectors. A
summary of the awards by year appears in the table below.
State Innovation Grant Program Statistics, 2002-2009
Competition
Year

Proposals
Submitted

Proposals
Selected

Total Program
Funding ($)

2002/2003

29

6

$618,000

2004

33

9

$1.526 Million

2005

26

7

$1.528 Million

2006

25

6

$1.355 Million

2007

17

7

$1.644 Million

2008

12

3

$830,000

2009

26

2

$590,000

Cumulative
Total

168

40

$8.091Million

“Innovation in Permitting” has been the theme of the State Innovation
Grant competition since its inception. In the last three competition
cycles states received awards for projects in the following three
categories:

• The Environmental Results Program (ERP) is an innovative
approach to improving environmental performance based on a system
of the interlocking tools of compliance assistance, self-certification
(sometimes, where permissible, in lieu of permitting), and
statistically-based measurement to gauge the performance of an entire
business sector. The program utilizes a multimedia approach to
encourage small sources to achieve environmental compliance and
pollution prevention. (See: http://www.epa.gov/permits/erp/)

• Environmental Management System (EMS) is a system
involving a continual cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing
and improving the processes and actions that an organization
undertakes to meet its business and environmental goals. EMSs
provide organizations of all types with a structured system and
approach for managing environmental and regulatory
responsibilities to improve overall environmental performance and
stewardship. (See: www.epa.gov/ems/info/index.htm)
NCEI has provided awards also for projects testing watershed-based
permitting, and for permit process streamlining in past competitions.
For more information on the history of the programs, including
information on solicitations, state proposals, and project awards,
please see the EPA State Innovation Grants website at http://
www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants

Project Background:
New federal rules to reduce air toxic emissions are
affecting thousands of very small sources (e.g.
autobody refinishing shops) that previously had little to
no formal regulation by state or federal environmental
agencies. Needed emissions reductions will not be
achieved without some effort to help small sources
understand and comply with the requirements of the
new rule. Many states lack sufficient resources to
implement and enforce the new rules. An
Environmental Results Program (ERP) will more
efficiently and cost effectively reach small businesses
and improve their compliance and environmental
performance as opposed to the more traditional
permitting and compliance system.

Project Description
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
(WDNR) and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce
Small Business Clean Air Assistance Program will
partner with other states Small Business
Environmental Assistance Programs (SBEAPs) in
Region 5 to develop an ERP for the autobody
refinishing sector affected by the Subpart 6H area
source National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air
Pollutants (NESHAP), which will include compliance
assistance, self-certification, and statistical analysis of
baseline and post-certification measurement
performance. The primary purpose and focus of the
project will be to increase compliance with Subpart
6H, but education and collecting data on best
practices in energy efficiency and pollution prevention
are also important aspects of the project.
State environmental agencies and EPA regional
offices will work together to implement dozens of new
area source NESHAPs and to reduce air toxics
emissions. Use of plain-language materials that
explain the requirements and how to comply are more

effective at achieving positive change in the behavior of
small businesses, as opposed to using a compliance
inspector and a permit document written in legal terms.
In addition, random sample baseline visits will be
conducted to measure whether the outcome of
improved environmental performance of the shops
affected by the new area source rule has been
achieved.
The Region 5 ERP for autobody shops will develop in
the following phases:
1. The universe of sources in the project will be
compiled. Each state’s SBEAP will compile a list
of the autobody refinishing universe and decide
which areas in their state will be selected for
focus.
2. State SBEAPs and consultants will conduct the
baseline visits. They will be trained together to
ensure common understanding of the measures
and statistical principals for data gathering are
followed.
3. SBEAPs along with EPA staff and other
stakeholders will develop common materials for
the compliance assistance phase of the ERP.
4. A self-certification checklist that also meets the
needs of the Notification of Compliance Status for
Subpart 6H will be provided to all shops and any
necessary follow-ups will be done by Region 5
EPA.
5. Region 5 EPA will conduct random compliance
inspections following the self-certification phase.
6. After completion of the compliance inspections, all
data will be compiled and a final report will be
written.
Environmental outcomes in air practices, air record
keeping, and possible hazardous waste are all expected
to be observable upon completion of the Region 5 ERP
project for autobody refinishing shops. In addition, many
indicators for industrial wastewater and pollution
prevention are possible: including the percentage of
facilities discharging industrial wastewater to surface

water, the percentage taking one or more actions to
conserve energy and the percentage taking one or more
voluntary actions to further reduce toxics.

Connection to EPA’s Goals:
This proposal will support EPA’s Strategic Goal #1,
healthier outdoor air and reducing emissions of air toxics,
by focusing on implementing the NESHAP for Area
Sources of Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface
Coating, 40 CFR Part 63 Subpart 6H, to help reduce air
toxics throughout the Region 5 states. The project also
supports EPA’s Goal #5 in compliance assistance,
reducing environmental risks in all areas, including those
with environmental justice concerns, and to prevent
pollution, promote environmental stewardship; and
promote improved environmental performance through
a project with a sector-based and performance-based
focus conducted largely by providing direct assistance to
small businesses.

Project Contacts:
For more specific information on the
Wisconsin State Innovation Grant,
please contact one of the individuals
below:
Renee Lesjak Bashel
State Project Manager
WI Department of Commerce
Small Business Clean Air Assistance Program
Madison, WI 53707
Phone: 608.264.6153 Fax: 608.264.6151
Email: Renee.Bashel@wisconsin.gov

Program Contact:
Sherri Walker
State Innovation Grant Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460 (MC1807T)
(202)-566-2186; FAX (202) 566-2220
walker.sherri@epa.gov

Bill Baumann
State Project Manager
WI Department of Natural Resources
Bureau of Air Management
Madison, WI 53707
Phone: 608.267.7542 Fax: 608.267.0560
Email: William.Baumann@wisconsin.gov
Jeannette Marrero
EPA Grant Project Officer
USEPA Region 5
77 W. Jackson Blvd. (AT-18J)
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Phone: 312.886.6543
Email: Marrero.Jeanette@epa.gov
Rae Trine
Region 5 Technical Liasion
USEPA Region 5
77 W. Jackson Blvd. (AT-18J)
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Phone: 312.353.9228
Email: Trine.Rae@epa.gov
Kimberly Green-Goldsborough
NCEI Technical Liaison
National Center for Environmental Innovation
US Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: 202.566.2355
Email: Green-Goldsborough.Kimberly@epa.gov

United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

Office of Policy,
Economics and Innovation
(1807T)

December 2009
EPA-100-F-09-054